Japanese child’s fatal stabbing in China is an ‘isolated case’, Beijing says
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says Tokyo views child’s death ‘as a serious and grave matter’ and urges Beijing to protect Japanese in China
The fatal stabbing of a Japanese child in southern China is “an isolated case”, Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Thursday as it vowed to “continue to take necessary measures” to ensure the safety of “all foreigners in China”.
Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing expressed condolences to the victim’s family and would “provide all necessary help” to them.
A 10-year-old Japanese child in Shenzhen – which has the fifth-biggest Japanese community in China – was confirmed dead on Thursday after being stabbed on the way to school a day earlier.
The spokesman confirmed that the victim was a Japanese national whose father is Japanese and mother Chinese. Lin said Beijing would closely communicate with Tokyo in its investigation of the case.
Police in China have not specified the child’s sex but Japanese news agency Kyodo reported earlier that the victim was a primary school boy.
02:37
Chinese residents mourn death of 10-year-old Japanese boy stabbed in Shenzhen
A 44-year-old male suspect – whom Shenzhen police identified only by the family name Zhong – is in custody.
